388 + 284 Weeks

Well, I am thoroughly exhausted - I woke up at 5am with a snore monster in the bed next to me.  It has been a busy week, as you can tell by the 40 (!) photos below.  The kids and I only got in one beach walk, as we were either too busy, already going to the beach that day, or the weather was rainy. We have had quite a rainy summer so far - it's almost like winter was extra long and now it is spring.  Anyway, Carmie had a Daddy Day and they went to Burrill Lake.  Both kids love their days out with their dad, and I am so thankful, because whoever said two kids were easier than one because they cancel each other out, was a liar!  We also started up our Saturday night beach dinners again.  I think it is my favourite time of the week, so I am really happy the weather is warm enough in the evenings again.  On Sunday we all spent the morning at the north end of Mollymook Beach.  Arley desperately wanted to go out deeper into the ocean with his dad and Carmie, but for the longest time he was too scared.  He finally got up the courage, because Jeffrey promised he would carry him the whole way, and he had so much fun, he just loved it.  Carmie is a fish out there and can't get enough of the water. She was shaking all over with cold by the time she came out.  I can't wait for the warmer waters of Port Macquarie.

Tuesday was a cool and cloudy day, so the kids and I headed up to the Shoalhaven Zoo.  We had never been there before, always going down to Mogo instead.  The zoo was amazing!  It was so interactive - we were inside the koala cage, and we got to pet a blue tongue lizard, a bearded dragon, snakes, wallaroos, and a beautiful koala.  There were peacocks roaming free, and a very friendly deer walking around, and Carmie fell in love with it.  We were there for three hours, and Arley only started to get a bit ratty in the last twenty minutes, so it was such a success.

We also put up our Christmas tree and our house lights on Wednesday.  The kids were in the best mood, and played together and were so amenable with each other, all evening.  It was really fun, there were no dramas, and afterwards we walked around the corner to see the neighbourhood Griswald house all lit up.  It was a really lovely Christmassy night.  

Carmie wrapped up her Japanese class for the year with a little presentation of the things they have learned.  It was very cute.  The kids have one more week of activities, and then six weeks of break.  The kids love horse riding so much (and are doing so well at it!) that we have booked them in for a three day camp over the school holidays.  Of course they have taken to the world's most expensive sport, but Arley's NDIS funding covers his equine therapy, thank goodness, or we could never do it.  It is so good for both of them - it helps with Carmie's low muscle tone, and Arley is so much calmer afterwards, from an affinity with another creature.  Here's a video below of Carmie trotting and steering, as well as a Christmas video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMat0wsDTaQ&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vji3OW3uyhs

 Daddy day at Burrill Lake

 Beautiful Mollymook Beach morning

 Saturday night dinner at Collers Beach

 Sunday morning at Mollymook Beach

 Christmas crafts

 At the Shoalhaven Zoo

 Christmas!

387 + 283 Weeks

So, it has been a good week!  We did a ton of stuff, and Arley was in a good mood, and Carmie was sweet as pie.  Carms had one evening when she was very weepy.  I have realised that when she gets hungry and tired, she gets very emotional, as opposed to Arley who just gets pissed off.  But of course I never think to offer her food and a blanket, not until after the fact.  I will next time though!  Arley had one bad meltdown when we were doing an art project, and he just kind of froze and got performance anxiety, which turned into a huge yelling session.  When he wants to draw something but doesn't know how, sometimes he freaks out, gets too scared to try, and then gets really upset with himself.  But other than that, he had a great week.  So great, in fact, that he pretty much graduated from OT today (at least for now).  We have one more session next week, and then a break for the summer.  His therapist said that all of his issues that were really significant six months ago are hardly problems at all, and I agree with her.  He has come so far.  It has been such hard work, really emotional, but it has paid off, and I'm really proud of him.

One thing happened this week that broke my heart and then made me so hopeful in humanity.  Last month Arley befriended this seven year old girl who is at Scouts with Carmie, and he has been wanting to see her ever since.  We went to the Scouts family picnic on Wednesday, and he was just so excited to see Scarlett again.  He was too nervous to approach her, and I had to take him up and have her greet him. She said he could play with her, but then she wasn't really talking to him, she was just swinging on the jungle gym.  Arley kept hiding behind me, scared to make eye contact, and kept asking me why she wasn't playing with him or talking to him.  He didn't understand that she was, just in her own way.  Then she had to go do the Scouts activity, which was a walk around the park to the water.  He came to me so distraught that she wasn't playing with him, and couldn't understand why she had to go for the walk, and he started to yell, and he started to cry, and he did a really good job holding it in, but the tears just overflowed and he was so sad.  It broke my heart for him, and made me scared for the future, because clearly his autism was at play, and I didn't know what to do.  We were sitting on a park bench having a cuddle, when way off in the distance I saw Scarlett appearing from behind the trees, running towards us.  She ran up and asked Arley if he'd like to walk with her.  I said he would love that, and that he had just been crying.  She asked if he would like to be her buddy, and she took him by the hand and took him for a walk.  I found out later that she got in trouble with the Scout leaders for separating from the group, and told them, "Having a friend is more important than sticking with the group.'  She literally made me cry, right there in the park.  Arley's tears immediately dried up, and he was all smiles for the rest of the evening.  I just hope he is able to surround himself with people like Scarlett.

The kids have been into making planes all week.  It is such a great pastime, because they make them, decorate them and fly them, and it can take up half a morning.  And Carmie is using all of the fine motor skills that she hates, and they play together.  We are still walking the beach when we can, although this morning they insisted it would only be a short walk, so I'm hoping they're not getting resistant.  We went to the water slides this week, with the kids' friend Dusty who has been travelling Australia for six months.  The kids had a blast, played together really well, and are fairly desperate to go back.  And this time I didn't have to go on the slides too, so I could actually relax and have a chat to my friend.  We also looked after our friends' dog Casper again, and took the dogs to Collers Beach a couple of times.  We also took the kids to Christmas Carols on the green, which was kind of a flop (small town, bad sound, very hokey). Luckily Lolo and Dida met us there and we all decided pretty quickly to go back to their place instead.

Carmie has been such a cutie this week.  She wants to start a band (like a real band), with the members of our family.  Forget about the fact that I am not musical at all, and she doesn't play an instrument, and having her dad in the band (the only member of the family who does play an instrument) was an afterthought.  We have to practise and everything.  She has even written contracts for us to sign.  When she was writing them, she called out, "How do you spell sign, like to sign something?" and quick as a whip, Arley called out S I G N.  He is a crazy good speller!

It is so nice to report on having a good week.  I still can't get Carmie to make her bed, brush her hair, or pick up after herself, and Arley still has been sent outside, but at least now he just takes a book with him and goes out quietly, and Carmie will get there one day - either that or she will be the world's messiest, stinkiest and most disorganised teenager :)

Mollymook Beach morning

 On the way to Collers Beach

 The week of the paper plane

 Water park fun

 Morning tea after horse riding

 Arley and Scarlett

 Arley's computer researching skills taken to a whole new level.  And check our his spelling!  Even got 'their' right!